LDP OKs Abolition of Controversial Policy Activity Funds

   Tokyo, Nov. 21 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday broadly approved a plan to abolish the policy activity funds that political parties provide to member lawmakers, amid criticism of a lack of transparency in the use of the funds.
   The plan was included in a draft revision of the political funds control law presented by the LDP leadership at the day's general meeting of the party's political reform headquarters in the presence of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, also LDP president.
   After holding talks with the opposition camp on the issue, the LDP aims to submit and enact a bill to revise the law at an extraordinary session of the Diet to be convened on Nov. 28.
   The talks with the opposition camp may not go smoothly, however, as the LDP draft does not mention a possible ban on political donations by companies and other organizations, which is advocated by opposition parties including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party).
   During the two-hour meeting, which was attended by about 90 LDP lawmakers, Ishiba said, "We received a lot of criticism (over a high-profile political funds scandal involving LDP factions) from the people in the House of Representatives election (in October)." The LDP-Komeito coalition lost its Lower House majority in the election.

(2024/11/21-21:48)